Tag: south africa

On this bitter cold rainy morning of 18 June 2016 I attended the 2nd meeting called by the residents of Woodstock and Salt River in the Salt River Community Hall to “resist gentrification” which is commonly referred to as stopping evictions. A group of activists from Western Cape, concerned about the plight of the residents in these areas, joined the campaign called “We Are Not Going Anywhere” as volunteers representing the Black First Land First Movement (BLF). As BLF we are against the modern day dispossession and forceful removal of black people from their land which is politely termed gentrification. Continue reading “The Forgotten Children Of Blikkiesdorp”→

On this 22nd anniversary of the installation of a “new democratic South Africa”, BLF re-issues it’s “Revolutionary Call” and invites all BLACK PEOPLE who want freedom to its launch conference on 14 May 2016, in Soweto.

Since the inception of the Fees Must Fall campaign, BLF-SM TUT Soshanguve has played a critical role both at their institution, as well as when the protest action confronted state power at the Union Buildings.

The heroic nature of these students has been seen as they lead in the contestation of ideas, sacrifice of academic time due to principally shutting down the institution; and still they have mustered on ensuring that the BLF-SM is registered and recognised at TUT Soshanguve. We recognise the work done by these revolutionaries, and that at this time when one’s own academic interest is considered central to ones future, these cadres remain committed to black liberation.

Learning from SASO we recognise that BLF-SM, as a student organisation, is an integral part of the movement for black liberation. We accordingly applaud the courage of our comrades who practice this black truth as we collectively build a united principled black first movement.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE OF THE BLACK FIRST LAND FIRST MOVEMENT (BLF NCC)

26 APRIL 2016

Contact Details
Black First Land First Mail: blackfirstlandfirst@­gmail.com

As a revolutionary movement, Black First Land First (BLF), is not in the business of congratulating this government which has consistently in the past 22 years served whites at the expense of blacks. However, the action taken by Minister Mbalula needs to be applauded and he must be encouraged to use all the instruments of transformation he has to the fullest extent possible. The timidity of the ANC government in front of white people is a disgrace and shame. It is for this reason that small acts like the decision of the Minister to revoke the rights of the whites only national teams must be welcomed. The ANC must see this as an example – that calling and acting on transformation is now going to make the heavens fall.

BLF has consistently campaigned against the white teams. During the last Rugby World Cup, our movement took the stance of picketing against the Springboks and ran a social media campaign under #WhiteSpringBoksMustFall. BLF joined the millions of conscious people in our country and the world who celebrated each time the White Bokke lost a game. We shall always remember the memes that came with the loss to Japan and the festivities in our streets because the Springbok team, as it is currently constituted, is a Eurpean team that proclaims to represent South Africa. This is also true for Netball, Cricket and athletics. South Africa is a black majority country and in this context our sporting codes, as all other aspects of life including the economy, must reflect this reality.

The decision by Minister Mbalula is light and soft given the seriousness of the crime of refusal to transform our society. Sports places an important role in the symbolic order of things and helps channel the self-awareness of a people. The psychological violence perpetrated on the nation and in particular black children is incalculable. What must they think when they see our national team which doesn’t reflect them? The message sent is that blacks are not good enough and would therefore have to take their position at the back of the queue. This is violence against blacks and it must end!

BLF calls on Minister Mbalula to act with more vigour and resolve and to this end move steadily towards implementing the other elements of the Memoranda of Agreements (MOA’s) signed with the various sporting codes, which have been violated. The “Transformation Barometer” is itself mild and doesn’t call for complete representativity in that it requires 60% black representation instead of a proportion that will reflect the demographics of SA being, 89% black.

The Minister can, in terms of the various MOA’s, still take a number of actions. BLF is now calling on the Minister to evaluate progress in the next six months and to thereafter impose such punitive measure(s) available to him according to the MOA, including the withdrawal of government’s recognition of the federations which have failed to meet the country’s real transformation barometer. Basically, the government must withhold the national colors from the defaulting sporting codes. This will effectively serve as a deterrent as well as a preventative measure with the aim of ultimately decolonizing sport.

SA remains a laughing stock amongst nations. Our people remain landless in their own land. This must change and change fast. The ruling party has shown no capacity to have a spine and the necessary foresight to deal with the challenges of transformation. This is so because it is afraid to offend white sensibilities. BLF shall continue to demand that the White Springboks and all the other white teams must fall! Until our national teams reflect BLACK we shall not root for them!

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE OF THE BLACK FIRST LAND FIRST MOVEMENT

Brothers and Sisters from the Workers Party (PT). We write from South Africa, a country just like yours, which has known the horrors of colonialism, imperialist racist dictatorship and an unending neo-liberal assault on the black majority.

We watched with great inspiration and with a revolutionary critical stance as your former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (comrade Lula) undertook brave and ingenious policy decisions to move Brazil away from the status of being world number one in inequality. A status South Africa has been competing very competently with your nation for as long as it was under neo-liberalism before your party took over. We laughed at the fact that South Africa was so competent in inequality. That we were your fiercest competition.

Today, both our nations are under attack from imperialism. We believe the attack on your current president, Dilma Rousseff, is part of the imperialist assault on the BRICS countries. They carry out this assault by using internal agents within the political system of our nations. We also share with other progressive peoples of the world the view that, what triggered the coup is the possibility of the return of the most loved son of the Brazilian people, comrade Lula, to continue the programme of making the lives of the excluded majority better. The ruling classes of Brazil have now teamed up with imperialism for a right wing restoration.

Our movement, Black First Land First (BLF) agrees with the assessment of PT, what is happening in Brazil today is a coup! As we write to you, we don’t know what the vote of the lower house has revealed. Have the deputies voted for imperialism to realise the impeachment or have the deputies of the lower house remembered to defend the sovereignty of Brazil?
We speak from South Africa, another BRICS country under imperialist attack. Here, like in Brazil, our compatriots have chosen to side with imperialism and the white land owning classes to effect regime change for the consolidation of white power. The difference between Brazil and South Africa is that our ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has chosen not to fight the local and global forces of capitalism and racism. Our president, Jacob Zuma, has half-heartedly and for narrow personal reasons under taken a “Look East ” strategy. A strategy which is not part of a national reconstruction program to mobilise the masses towards ending colonial humiliation and hunger. The forces of imperialism are sufficiently irritated with these mild actions of defiance and have decided to remove him. If such a regime change is fulfilled, it can achieve the objective of disrupting the BRICS project. So, the local agents of imperialism who have political ambitions to consolidate racial capitalism and imperialism have a common course.

On our part, we say the best form of defence against imperialism is going on a total offensive against capitalism and imperialism. Our comradely criticism of PT is that is has been too soft on capitalism. This mistake has opened you up for assault. We say, stop negotiating with capital. Rather do the right thing – liquidate capitalism and ensure the defeat of imperialism. Give land to the landless! Mobilise the voting millions into combatants against imperialism for national reconstruction. Socialise the means of production.
This is also our message for South Africa. Our president recently asked for forgiveness following a Constitutional Court finding that he violated the constitution of the land by using state funds to build his Nkandla home. BLF forgave the president conditionally. Amongst the conditions we put forward is that the president must immediately return land to the black majority. We have also asked him to release all political prisoners of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) who were jailed for fighting against white supremacy prior to the advent of democracy in 1994. Yes, South Africa still has black political prisoners in its jails!

There is only one way to defend ourselves against imperialism and that is to be true to the slogan of BLF, Stop Imperialism – Take back the land!
Your movement has to escalate the revolutionary process outside the chambers of parliament. Only the people can deliver the revolutionary process which is being suffocated by imperialism today.

We send you solidarity, love and courage.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL CONVENOR OF THE BLACK FIRST LAND FIRST MOVEMENT
17 April 2016
Andile Mngxitama

“Socialism is not about big concepts and heavy theory. Socialism is about decent shelter for those who are homeless. It is about water for those who have no safe drinking water. It is about health care, it is about a life of dignity for the old. It is about overcoming the huge divide between urban and rural areas. It is about a decent education for all our people. Socialism is about rolling back the tyranny of the market. As long as the economy is dominated by an unelected, privileged few, the case for socialism will exist.” Chris Hani

Chris Hani, was a breathe of fresh air when it came to showing the liberation movement what direction it should take – a socialist direction. He called for a delinking from the capitalist system indicating that development for SA can only be realized under socialism.

With regard to the development of a culture of a socialist society he put forward the principle of a system responding to the people’s needs as a medium within which a new culture – one that will obliterate the domination of the economy by a privileged few, can be developed. He pointedly said, “our biggest enemy would be what we do in the field of socio-economic restructuring”. He urged that we “build a different culture in this country, different from Africa, different from the Nationalist Party” and insisted on that culture being in “service to people”.

This makes Chris Hani’s revolutionary legacy a guiding light in the current situation that the country finds itself – a situation in which imperialism’s grip on the country is tightening in service of a privileged few, being the white settler minority. He was clear, we cannot have peace without fighting for social justice. There can be no question of what Chris Hani would be saying in the current context. Yes, he would boldly urge us to defeat imperialism! Hani understood very well that the interests of the imperialists are not in line with the interests and aspirations of blacks! Hani’s indication of a revolutionary path to socialism envisages a society which gives the fullest play to people’s needs and to this end puts people first!

Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Cde Chris Hani who was murdered by the racist Januz Walus in service of consolidating white supremacy! BLF honors the revolutionary legacy of this brave leader! Furthermore BLF condemns the release of Januz Walus and calls for revolutionary justice in this regard.

The fighting, fearless and selfless spirit of Cde Hani will continue to guide us until we attain freedom.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE OF THE BLACK FIRST LAND FIRST MOVEMENT

Stop Imperialism – Take Back The Land! is a call by Black First Land First (BLF). This call is for all progressive people, organisations, civil society groups, churches, families, the revolutionary students, workers, youth, women, men. Its a call to stand up and advance our course of freedom. South Africa is now facing a recolonization under the white power driven by the richest man who got his wealth through the help and violence of the apartheid state – Johann Rupert. Its time we took our country back to ensure black liberation. This call is urgent! All peoples and organisations interested please respond via Black First Land First Mail: blackfirstlandfirst@gmail.com